This has nothing to do with Trump or science fiction movies, but…I found this interesting. A man was convicted of murder by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and sentenced to 19 years in prison. He was pardoned by the governor, but then was re-tried by the federal government, convicted, and sentenced to 42 years. The pardon appeared to be a political favor for sure, but how’s that for justice…he essentially traded a 19-year sentence with parole for a 42-year one, without parole. Guess he didn’t really think that one all the way through.
I think you can decline a pardon. I thought you had to actually seek one in the first place, but there much was chatter about some of Trump’s toadies declining one, should they be pre-emptively granted one. So I’m not sure. I’m guessing our resident lawyerin’ types can say for sure. Either way…out of the frying pan, into the fire.
I’m certain it was asked for and gladly accepted. It was rhetorical question in light of the “not thinking it through” comment. Either way, I think justice was served and a warning delivered.
Yes, you can decline. The flip side is that accepting a pardon has been deemed by SCOTUS to be equivalent to a confession. So, by accepting the state pardon, he turned the federal case into a slam dunk.
While this is often said, I don’t think this is actually true. The SCOTUS did rule that one must accept a pardon for it have any legal effect (and thereby suggesting that one could reject one), and that accepting it can imply guilt, the pardon does not carry any legal implication or consequence as to guilt.